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Herzog passed through Texas on way to Hall

Herzog passed through Texas on way to Hall

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ARLINGTON -- Whitey Herzog will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown on Sunday, becoming the seventh person enshrined who spent time with the Rangers.

The others are pitchers Nolan Ryan, Ferguson Jenkins, Gaylord Perry and Rich Gossage, manager Ted Williams and Nellie Fox, who was one of his coaches. Ryan is the only one who went into Cooperstown as a Ranger.

Like the others, Herzog only had a short stay in Texas. He was hired as the manager for the 1973 season, but was dismissed in September when owner Brad Corbett had a chance to hire Billy Martin.

"I just remember Whitey as a very down-to-earth guy who was a real players' manager," said Tom Grieve, who played for Herzog. "He had a great sense of humor and knew we weren't going to win right off the bat. He was hired to help build the team for the future. He was building the future with great young arms."

The Rangers, after finishing last in 1973, enjoyed a dramatic turnaround season under Martin in 1974. But they fizzled in 1975 and Martin was dismissed as well.

"Billy got us better real quickly," Grieve said. "With Whitey, the winning wouldn't have come as quickly, but it would have lasted longer and we would have been better off as an organization. I would have loved to have seen what would have happened under Whitey."